Flaritza One Shots
by fuckmeflaritza
Summary: Just some one shots based on our favourite Latina duo, Flaca and Maritza. We need more Flaritza in our lives.
1. You're Safe Now

**A/N: I know this isn't the best but I thought I would put some more Flaritza fanfiction out there seeing as there isn't enough! It's also a tiny bit AU as I've decided to keep Aleida in. Send me prompts and suggestions.**

No matter how hard she tried, Maritza couldn't fall asleep. All she could think about was what CO Humphrey had forced her to do. All she could feel was the cold, hard, metal of the gun pressed against her head, the horrible sensation of the baby mouse's legs struggling down her throat, the ever present feeling of needing to vomit, and Hump's warm breath against her neck as he whispered threats in her ear if she didn't comply to his demands.

Maritza was doing the one thing she promised herself she would never do once she got to prison: cry. It was silent and her occasional whimpers were hard to hear, but the trails of tears were obvious on her face. She couldn't let anyone see her like this, see her so weak. But that was clearly too much to ask in jail as she heard the bed across from her creak slightly and a weary Flaca push herself up. She quickly turned to face the concrete wall in hopes of saving herself the embarrassment of someone seeing her cry, quietly cursing at the loud squeak that came from the bed frame.

Flaca wasn't sure what had woken her up, although she could've sworn she heard someone crying. Maybe it was a dream? Loud creaking caught her attention and she averted her gaze to Maritza's bed, who usually slept like a baby, so what was she doing up?

Shaking her head she lay back down, but kept her eyes on her best friend's bed. Just as she was about to be pulled back into the lulls of sleep she heard another whimper. Her eyes snapped open.

"Mari?" She whispered and the whimpers stopped immediately. Maybe she was hallucinating, or dreaming because Maritza never cries. They've been bunkmates since Maritza landed herself in here and best friends for just as long, but she's never seen Maritza cry, though Maritza puts that down to having buried her feelings so deep they only come out when she watches Stepmom. Flaca calls bullshit on that one as she gets up out of her bed and tiptoes her way over to Maritza's.

"Maritza?" She gets no response. "Are you crying?" She knows it's a stupid question, but she does get an answer in the form of a weakly whispered ' _No'_ from her best friend. " _¿Qué hay?_ "

"Nothing." Maritza huffs out, clearly frustrated at Flaca's insistence, but knowing that she cares so much warms her insides in a way she hasn't felt for years, and that's all it takes for her dam to break and to begin crying into her pillow to muffle her sobs.

Flaca stood shocked for a few seconds before laying down behind Maritza on her bed and wrapping an arm around her best friend, whispering comforts in her ear to hopefully calm her down.

" _Todo_ _estará bien_."

Breakfast the next morning was a quiet affair to say the least at their usual table due to the lack of interaction between Maritza and Flaca, who are usually the two loudest Latinas at the table. Everyone else noticed and chalked it down to the two of them having an actual argument, though Gloria, being the most "motherly", noticed the worried glances Flaca would direct at Maritza, who hadn't touched her breakfast, since the duo sat down.

It was unlike Maritza to not interact with anyone, even if all she was talking about was why pizza was the best food ever and why everyone should love it. Gloria shared a look with Aleida, who just shrugged her shoulders even though she herself was slightly worried. The two of them had taken it upon themselves to keep an extra eye out on Maritza since she came even though she was a little Latin firecracker, emphasis on _little._ She could hold her own, but God, some of the other inmates were twice her size and weight and could crush her if she said the wrong thing, which she often did. She was smarter than she let on though, and wouldn't start anything with someone she couldn't handle. But even if she did, she always had Flaca by her side, they were practically inseparable.

Maritza finally looked up and shared a glance with Flaca before catching the interaction between Gloria and Aleida. Unable to take anymore of the staring and fretting over her she quickly rose from the table, dumped her tray, and practically ran out of the cafeteria. Gloria turned to Flaca.

"What's wrong with her?" Flaca shrugged her shoulders.

" _No sé."_ She replied, getting up and dumping her tray before she left the cafeteria in search of her best friend.

Her first stop was their shared bunk space, though there was no sign of the shorter girl, she then tried the TV room, the bathroom, the showers, their usual hangout spot outside, she even tried the library but she couldn't find her anywhere. Deciding to stay where she was, she found a random book and began to read, hoping Maritza would turn up soon.

Maritza had never had a panic attack in her life, but she felt really close to one right now as she was cornered in an abandoned hallway by CO Humphreys, who was pressing his full body weight against her, making the gun in his waistband painfully noticeable. With her head turned to not meet his sadistic gaze she sees Flaca pass by and is about to call out for help when a hand forcefully presses against her mouth.

"If you shout I'll kill her, then I'll kill you, comprende?" He hisses, pushing his hips against her stomach, warning her of the gun. She nods as silent tears fall down her cheeks. "Now, why don't we go have some fun?" He smirks, pulling Maritza with him to an empty utility closet and locking the door behind him.

Flaca had long since vacated the library, had long since given up her search for her best friend, who was virtually impossible to find at the minute, and was now just lounging around in her bunk, hoping that Maritza will be back soon.

As she was laying down she decided to eavesdrop on the people next door to her, hoping for some new gossip.

" _Okay, so like, something weird is going on in the showers."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _I heard someone crying."_

Flaca was up and out of her bed in record time, she just had a bad feeling about who was in the showers, though she was hoping it wasn't who she thought it was. On her way she ran into Gloria.

"What's got you in such a rush, Flaca?" The elder Latina asked, putting a hand on Flaca's shoulder to slow her down to a stop.

"I think Maritza's in trouble or something." Gloria nodded and followed Flaca to the showers.

When they arrived there was a small amount of people gathered in front of the mirrors, though it was obvious they were listening into the only shut shower stall where quiet crying could be heard over the running water. Gloria made quick work of emptying the bathroom and making sure no one else would come in whilst Flaca slowly made her way over to the stall.

When she pulled back the curtain she felt her heart drop at the sight of Maritza curled into a ball in just her underwear, looking smaller than ever, with her skin rubbed red raw with bruises and scrapes covering her arms, back, and legs.

It didn't take a genius to know what happened.

Slowly, Flaca turned the shower off and kneeled next to her best friend, who was shivering uncontrollably at this point. She reached for a towel that was strewn across the floor and used it to wrap around Maritza, holding her close as she continued to cry.

"Can you carry her?" Gloria, who had been hovering over the two young Latinas, asks.

" _Por supuesto_. I've carried bags of prison slop heavier than her." She tries to joke but it makes her gut feel heavy. She looks down at the girl in her arms. "She's tiny." She whispers.

" _Vamos_." Gloria urges as Flaca rises to her feet with Maritza in her arms and they make their way back to their block and to Gloria's room seeing as it is empty during the day, unlike Flaca and Maritza's.

Flaca sat down on Gloria's bunk with Maritza now curled on her lap as the eldest Latina rushed around to gather home remedies to ease the swelling of Maritza's cuts and bruises. When she'd gathered all that she needed she walked over to the injured girl and put a hand on her shoulder. Maritza shrugged the hand off and buried herself deeper into Flaca's embrace, muttering.

" _Déjame._ " Gloria resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the girl's stubbornness and persisted to try to get the girl to face her.

" _Mija,_ this will help, _te prometo."_ Resigned, Maritza nodded and slipped off of Flaca's lap onto the bed next to her, taking the taller girl's hand for her own comfort as Gloria got to work treating her injuries.

As Gloria was looking at what seemed to be the beginning of a black eye, Aleida walked past flanked by Ruiz, and stopped in her tracks when she saw the state that Maritza was in.

"Who did this to you?" She demanded but Maritza kept silent. " _No me hagas tener que repetirme_." Aleida got closer to Maritza and bent down to be eye level with the younger Latina, her eyes softening ever so slightly at the terrified brown eyes in front of her. "Tell me and they'll never hurt you again okay, _mija_?" Maritza took a deep breath and held it while she closed her eyes and composed herself, exhaling slowly.

"It was Humps, that creepy new CO." She whispered, feeling Flaca's hand tightening around her own before she felt herself being pulled into a hug.

"What are you going to do?" Flaca asked a furious Aleida and a glowering Ruiz.

"I'm going to show that _hijo de puta_ what happens when he messes with family. Ruiz, go get Flores and meet me outside in five." With that the two stalked off, probably planning something painful for the CO.

"See Mari? You're safe now." Flaca reassured, pressing a kiss to her best friend's forehead. "You're safe now."


	2. Fucking Gente Naca

A/N I just wanted to touch upon the aftermath of this scene. I mean, we all saw the glance Flaca shot at Maritza before she called everyone 'fucking gente naca' and the heartbroken expression on Maritza's face after Flaca basically called her a 'fucking nobody", right? Also, for the sake of this fic, they're already in some kind of established relationship. Enjoy!

"Fucking gente naca."

It felt as if all the air had left Maritza's lungs, her heart grew heavy, and her mind ran rampant with the thoughts that the girl she was possibly falling in love with had called her a nobody. Gente naca.

Was she a nobody to Flaca? Is that what the taller girl thought of her? Have all the innocent touches, heartfelt talks well into the early hours of the morning, and nights of passion meant nothing to Flaca? Because they meant everything to Maritza. She's never felt this way about anybody before and for the person she does feel this way about to call her a nobody? That shit was heartbreaking.

Unable to stop her eyes from filling with tears she ducks her head and hides behind a shelf in the food storage cupboard. She tries her best to keep the tears from falling but she can't help but think that she really is a nobody, especially to Flaca. Whilst Maritza is busy fruitlessly trying to stop the tears from falling she doesn't notice Daya hesitantly walking up behind her, having noticed her going missing after Flaca left.

"Are you okay?" Maritza whipped around, furiously rubbing her eyes to get rid of the evidence that she had been crying.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Daya would have believed her if her voice hadn't cracked slightly at the end and if the fresh set of tears hadn't welled up in Maritza's eyes. Even though she couldn't stand the girl sometimes, Daya pulled her in for a hug and let Maritza silently cry on her shoulder.

"Is this about Flaca?" Daya asked intuitively, knowing that the two Latinas had something going on, be it was romantic or sexual, either way she thought they were cute together and good for each other. Maritza nodded reluctantly, not really wanting to share her feelings with Daya but knowing she has to if she wants the other girl to leave her alone.

"I'm scared." She whispers, slightly horrified that she's about to share her innermost feelings with Daya of all people, whom she's at odds with most of the time, but she did defend her against Bennett that one time she was thrown in the SHU. That had earned Maritza's respects, big time.

"Of what?" Maritza sighs and pulls away from the hug, wrapping her arms around herself and not making any eye contact with Daya, too ashamed of herself to look her in the eyes.

"I'm scared that… when me and Flaca get out of here, or if she gets out first, that she'll just abandon me. I'm a nobody to her so why should she stick around?" Maritza ranted, unable to stop the tears anymore.

"Maritza." Daya reached out but the shorter Latina just shrugged her off and stormed out of the storage cupboard and out of the kitchen. When Daya walked back out into the kitchen, all eyes were on her and it was silent until Gloria spoke up.

"What's up with her?"

"She was feeling sick." Daya explained.

"Yeah, sick of Flaca's shit." Ruiz muttered. Daya narrowed her eyes but kept her mouth shut. Ruiz wasn't someone to talk back to.

"Alright, vamos everybody, back to work!" Gloria yelled at the kitchen staff, kicking everyone into gear.

Maritza sat in the only toilet stall that had a door, silently crying to herself over her and Flaca's future, if they even have one. She just doesn't understand if they're even on the same page anymore. Were they on the same page in the first place? Did she go into this, whatever it was, with an open heart, only for Flaca to have a closed one? Was this just a bit of fun for her? Something to pass the time until she can get back to Ian. Falling for someone who isn't there to catch you is possibly the stupidest thing Maritza has ever done, besides landing herself in prison, of co-

She was interrupted from her thoughts by a banging on the stall door and an all too familiar voice that she could do without hearing at this moment in time, at least until she gets her shit together.

"C'mon, all the other stalls are full and you're taking forever!" Flaca yelled at the stall door, unaware of who was occupying it. Her demeanor going from annoyed to worried, though, when the door opens and she's met with a red eyed and defeated Maritza.

"Mari?" She whispers and reaches out to put a comforting hand on Maritza's shoulder, but the shorter girl flinches slightly and backs away from the touch. Flaca's eyebrows crease in confusion at the action, her worry deepening slightly at how Maritza was acting towards her. She's never flinched away before and Flaca would be lying if she said it didn't hurt a little.

"Corazon, what's going on?" Flaca asks worriedly, dreading the worst, though she's affronted and confused with Maritza's response.

"I'm just a fucking gente naca so why do you care?" She hisses and brushes past the taller girl, who stands there confused for a moment. When Flaca realises what Maritza meant it's too late. For a short girl Mariza sure does move quickly. Unable to let her girl remain upset, Flaca sets out to find Maritza who could be anywhere by now.

Thankfully, it doesn't take Flaca too long to find Maritza, the shorter Latina having just escaped back to her bunk and is now hiding beneath her blanket, hoping Flaca will just leave her alone. Even if that is the last thing she wants Flaca to do right now.

Sighing, Flaca sits down beside Maritza, placing her hand on the shorter girl's side, feeling the small body tense beneath her touch.

"You're an idiota, you know that right?" Maritza shoots up from her laying position, her hair sticking up slightly on one side and Flaca would have laughed at her appearance had the other girl not had misty eyes and visible tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Tu me vuelves loca." Flaca begins, reaching out for Maritza's hand, thankful she doesn't flinch away this time. "Quiero ser tuya..." She trails off waiting for the other girl to look in her eyes, when she doesn't she helps her slightly by using her unoccupied hand to lift Maritza's chin up and then sliding her hand around to cup her cheek, using her thumb to brush away any tears. "Quiero que seas mío." Flaca finishes, leaning forward, waiting for any sign from Maritza to stop, when she receives none she closes the gap between them and captures the shorter girl's lips in a sweet kiss. Maritza kisses back tenderly.

Overrun with emotion at Flaca's confession she can feel tears welling in her eyes, but this time they're from happiness. Flaca wants Maritza to be hers. When Flaca pulls away she whispers ever so quietly, delicately even, into Maritza's ear.

"Te quiero mucho, preciosa."


	3. Anything You Want

**Prompt: "** **One when they are out of jail and taking care of Maritza's daughter would be super cute." I kind of ventured off with this one, but hopefully it's still cute.**

It's the little things, Flaca realises, that make her fall in love with Maritza more and more every day. The way she is always greeted with a good morning kiss, the constant affection, even the simplest thing of walking down the street with their hands intertwined. But the biggest little thing is how Maritza is with her daughter, Juliana.

Maritza the inmate and Maritza the mother are two completely different things, so much so that it took Flaca a few months to familiarise herself with the more gentle and softspoken Maritza over the sassy and outspoken Maritza she had come to know and love in prison. She loves this Maritza, don't get her wrong, but the contrast is as stark as black and white.

Right now, Flaca stands in the doorway as she watches Maritza place a gentle hand on her daughter's head, brushing a few sweaty strands behind a little ear as she takes the little girl's temperature. Flaca watches with admiration at how gentle Maritza can be, whispering sweet comforts to her feverish daughter.

With a gentle kiss to the little girl's forehead. Maritza stands from her seated position on the edge of the bed and begins to walk out of the room. When passing Flaca she whispers:

"Can you keep her company? I'm just going to get an icepack and some medicine." Flaca nods wordlessly and squeezes the shorter girl's shoulder before walking over to Juliana, sitting down beside her.

"How are you feeling, _lucero_?"

"I don't feel good." Juliana mutters with a pout, her eyebrows creased, and will a slight huff. _Just like her Mami,_ Flaca thinks, _they both get more adorable when they're sick._ Flaca offers a comforting smile to the child.

"I know, _chiquita,_ but you'll feel better soon after your _mami_ gives you some of the magic medicine." Juliana's eyes widen in wonderment, obviously latching on to what Flaca was saying.

"Magic?" Her little mouth is gaping slightly. "Can it give me magical powers?" She asks, excited at the possibility of gaining special abilities. Flaca nods, deciding to indulge her girlfriend's daughter.

"It sure does." She answers. "It can give you super healing powers and the ability to get your _mami_ to say yes to anything you want." Juliana sits up excitedly before looking at Flaca with an inquisitive look in her eye.

"Does that include you, too?" Flaca looks at the child confused, responding.

"What do you mean, _lucero_?"

"Well, you're like my _mami_ too right? You're my mama." Juliana explains, oblivious to Flaca's speechlessness, she continues. "So does that mean you'll say yes to everything I want too?" Now Flaca is the one to stare at Juliana in wonderment, her heart beating rapidly in her chest and her eyes welling with tears of happiness.

"Of course, _corazon."_ Flaca reaches forward and pulls Juliana in for a tight hug. "Anything you want." She kisses her sweaty forehead and pulls away when she hears a throat clearing behind her.

Turning around she sees Maritza standing in the doorway with a warm smile on her face and the items she went to get in her hands. The shorter Latina enters the room and sits on the other side of her daughter's bed, offering the items in her hands to her girlfriend.

"Care to do the honours mama?" She asks cheekily with a wink. Flaca rolls her eyes and takes the ice pack, placing it behind Juliana's neck. "Remember the magic medicine." Maritza laughs as she passes the bottle over to a slightly blushing Flaca.

"You heard that?" Maritza smirks and nods, watching as Flaca carefully pours the medicine onto the spoon and slowly puts it in Juliana's mouth, putting the bottle on the nightstand once she's finished.

"Can we watch a film?" Juliana asks. Maritza leans forward and places a peck on Flaca's cheek before turning to her daughter.

"Sure, _mija,_ what do you want to watch?"

After enduring two Disney movies and a round of ice-cream, Juliana had finally fallen into a peaceful sleep with her head resting on Maritza's lap and her legs laid across Flaca's. The latter turned to her girlfriend and wordlessly motioned with her hands that she was going to take Juliana upstairs to her bed.

Picking Juliana up, Flaca felt the little girl curl her arms and legs around her, nuzzling her face into the crook of her neck and sighing contently in her sleep. It was a nice feeling to feel needed by someone, |Flaca thought, and for someone to reach out unconsciously to her for comfort. Maritza did that often too when they laid in bed and Flaca was still awake long after Maritza had fallen asleep.

Like mother like daughter.

When she reached Juliana's room she gently laid her down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. As she was leaving she heard Juliana faintly whisper.

"G'night, mama." Flaca turned her head slightly as she dimmed the lights in the room and smiled at the tired girl. As she was closing the door she peeked her head through the gap.

" _Buenas noches, corazon."_ Turning on her heel she left the door slightly ajar so the lights in the hall would illuminate Juliana's room slightly and made her way to the room she shared with Maritza.

When she entered the room she found Maritza already changed into booty shorts and a loose fitting t-shirt that she had stolen off of Flaca, brushing her hair in front of their vanity mirror. Treading quietly, the taller girl made her way behind her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her head on her shoulder.

Maritza smiled at her through the mirror and put her brush down so she could place her hands over Flaca's on her stomach.

"How are you feeling, mama?" Maritza teased lightly, though there was an unidentifiable quiver in her voice.

" _Estoy tan feliz_." Flaca whispered contently, turning her head to place a tender kiss on the side of Maritza's neck, causing the shorter girl to shiver from the touch and from the relief at Flaca's statement.

"You're sure this isn't too much?" Maritza asked worriedly, scared that Flaca may not be ready to be a mother figure in Juliana's life, not that Maritza herself was ready when she found out she was pregnant, but she didn't have a choice. Flaca, on the other hand, does, and Maritza doesn't want to inadvertently force Flaca into a role she wasn't ready for.

" _No seas estúpida,_ Mari. I'm ready for this, for us to be a _familia."_ Maritza nodded with a smile, turning around in Flaca's arms and wrapping her arms around the taller girl's neck, rocking onto the balls of her feet to place a kiss on Flaca's lips. With a grin she pulled away from the kiss and stared directly into Flaca's eyes.

" _Te quiero_."

" _Yo te quiero también."_


	4. I Got This

Prompt: "Flaca finds out about the guard raping Doggett and threatens him when Maritza gets van duty."

Flaca usually wasn't one to eavesdrop, in fact most of the time she couldn't care less about other people's drama unless it involved her, or Maritza. She had to have Maritza's back as well as her own.

She was originally on her way to deliver some panties to Chapman when she heard whispering, which always meant something gossip worthy was going on. The hushed conversation Big Boo and that weird Bible chick were having was interesting to say the least.

"What are we gonna do?"

"We need to get him replaced somehow."

"But what do we do until then? We can't just leave her with him."

Flaca backed away in confusion, not deeming their conversation important to herself, she made her way to Chapman's bunk.

The next morning at breakfast Flaca couldn't help but notice that her and Maritza were being watched closely, specifically by the people she had been eavesdropping on yesterday. Did they know? They couldn't have. She was discreet.

When she saw them turn to talk to each other out of the corner of her eye she turned her full attention to the pair, squinting her eyes as she tried to make out what they were talking about.

"What's up with you today?" Maritza asked her, but she just hummed a noncommittal noise in response, not taking her attention away from Big Boo and Doggett. Maritza huffed and whined: "Can you stop ignoring me?" Tugging on Flaca's sleeve slightly like a child.

"Dios mio, I'm busy!" Flaca snapped and Maritza let go of her sleeve instantly.

"I-" She stopped as her face crumpled slightly and buried her head into her hands. Flaca panicked that she had made her best friend cry and rushed to comfort her, not without noticing the two sets of eyes watching their interaction with rapt attention..

"No, Maritza, no don't cry. Please, no." She rambled on, reaching out to put an arm around Maritza, only for the Latina to turn her head, showing the smirk she had on her face. "You little-"

"I'm sorry!" Maritza yelled whilst trying to stifle her giggles and simultaneously blocking a hit from Flaca. "I was kidding!" Rolling her eyes, the taller Latina just continued with her meal, stealing the other half of \maritza's slice of toast, who objected immediately.

"What? Consider it my prize for the guilt trip you just put me through."

Once breakfast was over and the inmates were allowed some free time before they had to start their jobs for the day, Flaca went in search of her new stalkers. She found them conversing in the corner of the TV room so she walked over to them, folded her arms in a defensive position and cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Why you two been staring at me and my girl Maritza?" The pair in question shared a look before Big Boo sighed and gestured for Flaca to sit at the only unoccupied chair at their table, to which she did so reluctantly.

"Alright, I'll get straight to it, no pun intended." Boo began. "Your girl Maritza may be in some trouble." Immediately Flaca was on alert, she leant forward in her chair.

"What kind of trouble?" Boo shared a look with Doggett, to which the latter nodded and took over explaining.

"The raping kind." She whispered. Flaca's eyebrows furrowed as she processed the information, not sure if she'd heard correctly.

"The raping kind?" Boo and Doggett nodded solemnly.

"CO Coates has trouble keeping his grubby hands to himself." Boo elaborated. Flaca sat back and slid down in her chair, heaving a breath as she did so.

"Shit." Bringing her hands up to cover her face she took a few calming breathes, not able to handle the idea that Maritza, her Maritza, could be in danger of getting sexually assaulted. The thought sent shivers down her body. "Gracias, for telling me." Boo nodded and clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"If you need a hand with the threatening, I'm here to help." Flaca gave a strained smile but shook her head.

"Nah, I got this." With a newfound confidence, or vengeance, Flaca walked as calmly as she could without arousing suspicion from the CO's.

Thankfully, it didn't take as long as Flaca thought it would to find Coates, who was too busy munching on a donut in a corner to notice a fiery Flaca speed walking towards him until he felt himself being pinned to the wall, his donut falling to the ground.

"Listen here, you lay one finger on my girl Maritza and I will bury you, comrende?" Coates looked at Flaca in fear. When she got no response she pushed harder on the arm she had barring his neck, cutting off his circulation slightly. The CO began to nod frantically. "Better yet, why don't you find another job to supervise, hm?" She patronised, to which he nodded to again.

"Of course." He croaked. Nodding in satisfaction, Flaca let him go and walked away as if nothing happened whilst Coates leant on the wall for support as he breathed heavily and rubbed his sore neck.

The next evening, Maritza was explaining to Flaca about how there was a new CO in charge of van duty and that Coates had seemingly vanished. All Flaca could do was smirk to herself, proud that she had basically made the CO shit his pants.

"The new CO's okay and everything, but Coates let me have candy. I kinda miss it." Maritza pouted. Flaca rolled her eyes at the comment, knowing that if the smaller Latina knew what Coates was capable of she would be greatful she has a new CO, though she wouldn't tell her. No need to cause unnecessary worry.

"Who's your new CO anyway?" The taller Latina asked.

"His name is Humps, or something. I wasn't really paying attention. He kinda looks like a mailman." Maritza explained to which Flaca nodded in satisfaction.

"No inappropriate touching?" Flaca asked with a cheeky smile, nudging Maritza's shoulder with her own when the other girl rolled her eyes.

"No, none of that. He's okay, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Yeah, he's just weird. I'm sure everything will be fine though." Flaca hummed in agreement.

"Me too."


	5. Nurse Flaca

**Prompt: "Flaca helps take care of Maritsa after she burns herself while trying to cook breakfast for them." Thank you Boris Yeltsin for the prompt! Also fun fact: I wrote this whilst listening to the Nightmare Before Christmas score, it's surprisingly good concentration music.**

As much as she hated to admit it, Maritza was a klutz in the kitchen. She would deny it until her last breath, but the amount of times Maritza has cut herself whilst chopping vegetables is astonishing. It's some kind of miracle that she still has all of her fingers, all fully functional. She burns things (mostly herself), drops pans, slips on water spills, and drops numerous kitchen utensils and pans on her head. (It's also a miracle that she has had no major head injuries).

So it came as no surprise when she heard a yelp from the kitchen, followed by a string of curses in Spanish that even Flaca would feel dirty saying. Deciding she'd heard enough, Flaca got up from her position on the couch and entered the kitchen, where she saw a frantic Maritza trying to tidy the mess she had made with one hand whilst using the other to grab at her wrist.

"What happened this time?" Flaca asked with a sigh, crossing her arms and leaning against the kitchen doorframe. Maritza looked up and her cheeks flushed immediately in embarrassment at being caught hurting herself in the kitchen, _again._

"I was reaching for something over the stove but my arm hit the pan and I think it burned through all of my skin because it hurts _como una perra._ Damn." Maritza grimaced as she took her hand away from her wrist, wincing when she saw the red raw patch of skin.

Jumping into action, Flaca strode over to her girlfriend and inspected the damage on her arm, frowning when she realised this wasn't the typical burn Maritza would get.

"Come, on, we need to put it under cold water." Leading the shorter latina over to the sink, she turned on the cold water tap and placed Maritza's burnt wrist under the stream of water, placing a kiss on her cheek when she hissed in pain at the pain caused by the water coming into contact with the sore area.

They both stood there until Maritza felt her wrist go numb from the freezing water running over it, all the while Flaca had her arms wrapped comfortingly around her girlfriend's waist as she would sporadically place kisses on the side of her neck. Stepping away from the sink, Flaca hoisted Maritza up onto the kitchen counter, to which the latter squaled, but ultimately began to giggle when Flaca placed a loving kiss on her nose.

"You're such a klutz, _mi amor._ " The taller latina teased as she left the kitchen and entered the bathroom in search of ointment that would help to soothe and heal Maritza's burn. When she found what she was looking for she saw Maritza staring sadly at the pan she had been using, an adorable pout adorning her features.

"What were you trying to make anyway?" Flaca asked as she reentered the room, causing Maritza to jump slightly in fright.

"Breakfast." The smaller latina mumbled, still embarrassed by the whole ordeal. Flaca nearly cooed at how adorable her girlfriend was being, but decided against it knowing it would rile her up slightly. So, like the doting girlfriend she was, she diligently put the ointment onto Maritza's burn, careful as to not press too hard and cause her girlfriend pain, and then wrapped up the area with some leftover bandages from when Maritza had nearly cut her pinky off while chopping carrots.

When she was done, Flaca helped Maritza down from the kitchen counter and sent her to the living room to watch TV where she could (hopefully) do no harm to herself. Sending her off with a kiss to the cheek and a slap to the butt, Flaca got around to cleaning the mess her girlfriend had made, which wasn't more that extra, _extra,_ burnt bacon that was unsalvageable and unedible. Placing the chargrilled remains in the bin and the pan in the sink to be dealt with later, she left the kitchen and found her girlfriend snuggled up on the couch under a thick blanket watching some cartoon on the TV.

"Scoot over." She said with a tap to Maritza's shoulder, the latter scooting forward so the taller latina could fit behind her on the couch so they would be spooning. Once Flaca was comfortable with her arm around her girlfriend's waist and her head buried into her neck, she felt Maritza interlock their fingers over her stomach.

"How's your arm feeling, _corazon_?" She asked, running her fingers over the bandaged area of skin delicately.

"Okay, it just stings a little." Maritza replied, leaning further back into Flaca's warm embrace. "Thank you, by the way."

"For what?" Flaca asked, confused by the sudden gratitude.

"For always taking care of me." Flaca smiled at the admission, her heart feeling as if it had grown a few sizes at the adorableness of her girlfriend. Kissing the underside of her jaw, Flaca buried her face into the crook of Maritza's neck and whispered in her ear.

"Always."


	6. Red's Roses

" **Can you write a story where the gardening club starts to grow pretty flowers like roses and one day Flaca makes a flower bouquet for Maritza? Please?" Seeing as you asked so nicely, Anon.**

Red should have known that the minute the gardening club began to plant flowers that the colour depraved inmates would come in hordes to get their pick of roses, lilies, and the other assortment of flowers the had been allowed to plant.

Considering the demand she could make a small business out of this, but that was a thought for another time. They were all drawn to the "pretty things." _Children,_ she thought as she turned down another inmate who had wanted some of _her_ red roses. If they wanted them they would have to grow the flowers themselves.

What had surprised Red, though, was that tall, loudmouthed Latina standing at the back of the group of inmates trying to make herself look small. _Fat chance,_ she thought with a laugh. That girl was as tall as they come in here.

Once the group had disbanded, disappointed that they wouldn't be getting anything today, Red noticed that the tall Latina was still hanging around, looking around as if she wasn't actually interested in the roses she was hovering over.

"What do you want, kid?" Red demanded, not fond of loitering hispanics. Flaca looked up, slightly embarrassed at having been caught dawdling by _la Red._

"I was just, uh- you know-" The tall latina stuttered. Considering the tough front she put up, Red still scared her a little, even if she wasn't in control of the kitchen anymore.

"I don't have all day. Spit it out." Red demanded.

"Listen, can you keep a secret?" The elder woman's eyes lit up as she walked closer to where Flaca was standing.

"I love secrets." Flaca rolled her eyes, but continued nonetheless, not wanting to get on Red's bad side right before she asked for a trade.

"Me and my girl Maritza are a thing or whatever and I wanted to do something nice for her, you know?" Flaca explained, still unsure as to what her and Maritza were, but hoping that would change with what she had planned and what she had included a semi-grand gesture (they were in prison after all), that featured a bouquet of roses and Flaca asking Maritza an important question.

"And how does this involve me?" Red inquired.

"Well, I was wondering if I could take some of your roses." She asked, hesitantly reaching into her waistband and pulling out two pots of yoghurt.

"I see Mendoza has taught you well." Red said, reaching forward for the yoghurt. "You have 30 seconds. Choose wisely." With that Flaca rushed forward and picked a dozen of Red's roses. Once Flaca had chosen her flowers, Red liften a single finger in a signal for the tall latina to wait a second.

The Russian disappeared momentarily into the green house before returning less than a minute later with what looked to be a red piece of string.

"It's not much but it'll do." She stated, tying the piece of string around the stems of the roses and tying it into a bow of sorts. "When my husband courted me, I always thought that a piece of ribbon to match the flower petals was a nice touch." Flaca nodded in gratitude.

" _Gracias,_ Red." The Russian nodded in acknowledgement.

"Make sure you treat her right. She may seem tough but if she and a midget got into a fight, I would place my bets of the midget." With those words of "wisdom", Red walked back into the greenhouse, probably to eat her yoghurt in peace.

Flaca began to make her way back to her block where she found Maritza leaning against one of the walls inspecting her nails by herself, which Flaca was grateful for seeing as she didn't know if she would be able to do this with an audience.

" _Hola, hermosa."_ Flaca greeted as she slowly approached Maritza with her hand containing the bouquet of roses hidden behind her back. The smaller latina smiled brightly at the sight of Flaca and stepped forward to greet the other girl with a hug, only for her to feel a slight pressure on her shoulder signalling her to stay put. Frowning she looked up at Flaca, only for the taller latina lean down and place a chaste kiss on her lips.

"I'm not really sure how to do this." Flaca began, slightly nervous as she was never the one to officiate a relationship before, she'd always been the asked not the asker. " _Belleza, me gustas mucho._ You have honestly made my life in here so much better than what I had expected, you know? You make everyday bearable and every night I look forward to waking up just so I can see your face again, or kiss you, or hold you. You give me a purpose in here." She paused, finally revealing what she had hidden behind her back and if they were a cartoon, Maritza would have literal heart eyes right now. " _Quiero que seas mío,_ for as long as we're in here, and hopefully for as long as you'll have me once we get out of here." Flaca bit her lip as she watched Maritza inspect the roses the taller latina had handed to her. "I know they're not much but.." She trailed off as Maritza just shook her head.

"I want you to be mine, too." Maritza revealed, nearly leaping into Flaca's arms in elation. Flaca heaved a sigh of relief that she hadn't known she'd been holding.

Maritza pulled back from the hug, just enough so that their noses were touching and they had matching grins on their faces.

" _Bésame_." She whispers and Flaca happily obliges, eagerly leaning forward to connect their lips in a sweet kiss, her arms tightening their hold around Maritza as the shorter latina tugs lightly at the hairs at the base of Flaca's neck.

"Where'd you find roses anyway?" Maritza asked curiously.

"I'll tell you later." Flaca winked, releasing a hand down to hold Maritza's. "Come on." She insists as she guides her girlfriend in the direction of their _special_ spot. Leaning down so her lips were by Maritza's ear, she whispers seductively. " _Quiero hacerte el amor."_

" _Fuck."_


	7. Can I Have A Floatie?

**Prompt: "** **Flaca is teaching Maritza how to swim, and when Flaca goes into the kitchen to get snacks she comes back to find Maritza unresponsive in the water, she freaks out only to find out Maritza was fake drowning to scare Flaca :)." Someone also wanted me to write fluff, so I'm killing two birds with one stone.**

It has been a few years since Flaca and Maritza have left Litchfield, both lucky enough to have found jobs within a few months of being released, which enabled them to save up for the holiday they are currently enjoying in a nice villa with a private pool. It was just the two of them on the romantic getaway, Maritza's daughter staying with her sister for the week so the couple could have a break and so Juliana wouldn't miss any school.

For the first couple of days the two would just lounge around outside, drink cocktails, and absorb as much sun as they could before they would have to head home. Flaca had been for a swim a few times but Maritza hadn't even dipped so much as her pinkie toe in the water since they got there, which the taller latina thought was odd, seeing as Maritza was as happy as everyone else that one day in Litchfield where everyone had escaped to the lake when the fences had been brought down.

It hadn't occurred to her that Maritza didn't know how to swim, like, at all. Not even the doggy paddle.

She had dragged the information out of her girlfriend on their third day at the villa, after the shorter girl had flat out refused to join Flac for a swim in the pool and had instead locked herself in their bedroom until dinner time, where she walked down the steps sullenly and straight into Flaca's open arms, burying her head into the taller girl's shoulder and murmured that she didn't know how to swim. Her parents had never cared enough to teach her or to send her to lessons.

That hurt Flaca's heart a little. Okay, maybe a lot. So, she took it upon herself to teach her girlfriend how to swim, with the promise of a romantic evening in the bedroom as her reward.

"Okay, so we'll start off with something simple and easy to learn. Floating." Flaca began her "lesson", watching as Maritza rolled her eyes.

"Floating? Really?" She huffed, crossing her arms, causing the pool water to splash herself, making Flaca giggle slightly at the adorable pout it had caused to appear on her girlfriend's lips.

"Okay, how about I go grab some snacks before we officially start and by the time I get back you'll be floating like a pro, right? Seeing as it's so easy." Now it was Flaca's turn to roll her eyes as she waded her way through the water to the edge of the pool, pulling herself out and walking into the villa, not once turning around.

Once in the kitchen, Flaca just grabbed a big bag of chips, a couple granola bars, and two bottles of water, knowing that swimming was quite physically demanding.

As she was walking out with her arms full, she could see Maritza floating about in the pool, however , as she made her way closer she noticed that her girlfriend was floating face down. Dropping the snacks in her hand and cursing herself for leaving her unable to swim girlfriend unattended in the water, she ran the rest of the way to the edge of the pool before jumping in and swimming to her girlfriends side.

Turning Maritza around she noticed that the girl's eyes were closed and her chest wasn't moving. In her panicked state she swam herself and Maritza to the edge of the pool, making sure her girlfriend remained face up as she jumped out of the pool before she pulled Maritza out of the water.

Just as she was about to do CPR she noticed that her girlfriend's lips had curved into a smile and her chest shook slightly. The next thing Flaca knew the smaller latina was rolling around on the poolside laughing her little ass off while she sat there astonished, her heart still racing a mile a minute in her chest, thinking she had left her girlfriend to drown.

Maritza was shocked when she felt long arms wrap around her body, tightly squeezing as near constant kisses were placed on her neck.

"Babe?" Maritza asked cautiously as Flaca pulled away and moved her arms from around her waist so that her hands could reach up and cup the shorter girl's face, resting their foreheads together.

"Please, don't scare me like that." Flaca whispered, her eyes closing as she tried to take in the moment. Wordlessly, Maritza nodded and brought her hands to rest over Flaca's on her cheeks.

"I won't. I promise." She breathed out, leaning forward slightly so their lips were a hair's breadth away. When Flaca opened her eyes and met Maritza's, she couldn't help herself from bursting into laughter and rolling backwards to lay down, pulling the smaller latina on top of her.

"That was so cheesy, oh my God." She laughed. "Like, straight out of a crappy romance novel." Continuing to laugh and giggle, Maritza just watched her with the fondest of smiles ghosting her features. Flaca really was beautiful when she lost herself to laughter. Leaning down she pressed their lips together, unable to help herself any longer, the taller girl being too damn kissable.

Once the kiss had ended, Maritza lay her head down on Flaca's chest, hearing her erratic heartbeat, probably caused by Maritza "drowning", her laughter, and the kiss they just shared. Maritza silently hoped it was mostly the latter because every time they kissed she felt as if her heart was was about to burst.

"I love you." She whispered, not having caught onto what she had just said, out loud until she felt Flaca tense for a moment before she felt a loving kiss being pressed to the top of her head as Flaca whispered an 'I love you, too.'

"Enough of this sappy shit." Flaca stated abruptly as she sat up with Maritza still in her arms, making the shorter girl slide down into her lap.

"Are you ready to start swimming?" She asked, pressing another kiss, to Maritza's cheek this time.

"Yeah." The smaller girl sighed as she got up, reaching a hand out to help Flaca to her feet. As they entered the pool at the shallow end, Flaca nearly wet herself laughing when she heard a little voice behind her ask.

"Can I have a floatie?"


	8. I'm Sorry, Too

Suggestion 1: "Maybe you could do like a continuation of the scene in the kitchen during the valentine's day episode and add like your own personal twist on it or something. it kills me how they never addressed it again in the series :("

Suggestion 2: "Maritza is not so secretive about her crush on Flaca like she has hoped. All of the Spanish Harlem knows except Flaca (who is oblivious). So, the rest try to convince and/or help Maritza tell Flaca how she feels."

Valentine's day had been quite the day for Maritza. It had started out as every other day in this hell hole, had gotten slightly better when her, Flaca, and Flores, had found Bennett's weakness and could blackmail him into bringing some contraband stuff in for them, and when she was finally able to drink and get drunk for the first time in what felt like ages. What had really turned the day around though, was the drunken kiss she and Flaca had shared on a freezing counter in the kitchen.

That had certainly opened a door in her mind that she hadn't realised she didn't have the keys for until Flaca kissed her, and what came out wasn't anything she expected or knew what to do with. She'd caught feelings. Big time. What was worse is that Flaca seemed to have been completely unaffected by the whole ordeal.

The day after Valentine's the two had seemingly gone back to normal, just as touchy feely, just as affectionate, and just as argumentatie. Although now Maritza looked at Flaca like something other than her best friend.

The kiss was never brought up even though it seemed to be on Maritza's mind more that she cared to admit, and what happened after...

"You know, no one's touching my ass. No one's kissing my lips..." Maritza trailed as a small giggle from both her and Flaca cut her off. The taller latina's expression sobered slightly as she turned her gaze to the metal countertop.

"Shit..." She looked up and stared directly into Maritza's eyes. "I'll kiss your dumb lips." She finished with a shy smile, to which Maritza mirrored as they both leaned in and gave each other a brief peck on the lips. The both pulled back giggling, however Maritza's was slightly delayed as she was overtaken by this strange feeling in her stomach. Once she saw Flaca begin to chuckle she thought that was the appropriate response and not a tickling in her gut that she had never had when kissing anyone else.

"Do it again." She urged with a smile, wanting to test if this "feeling" was just a one time experience. Flaca began to lean in again, removing the Cuban Missile from Maritza's forehead and reaching behind her head to pull the smaller girl forward into the kiss.

The kiss became heated quickly, for Maritza at least as she leaned further into Flaca and tilted her head to deepen the kiss. Within seconds she felt her breath escape her and a whole array of feelings attacking her. Moments later Flaca pulled away and stared intently at Maritza.

There was a pregnant pause before Maritza leaned in again and began to kiss Flaca with fervour, to which the latter responded to just a fervently. The taller latina rested her hands on the shorter's hips and pulled her forward, causing her to have to lift herself off of the counter and move to straddle Flaca, gasping lightly as their fronts made contact.

Flaca lowered her hands from her hips to her rear and squeezed.

"No one's touching your ass, huh?" Maritza moaned at the contact and Flaca squeezed again before nudging Maritza's jaw with her nose so she could lay kisses down her neck. She began to suck the soft skin at the base of her neck as the shorter latina tilted her head back in pleasure.

"Fuck…" Maritza let slip and let her hands wander down Flaca's body until she was palming a breast in each hand which caused the girl beneath her to release her first moan since they started.

"What are you bitches doing in there?! You're missing the party!" They heard Flores yell and they immediately pulled apart, their chests heaving as they struggled to catch their breaths.

Flaca was the first to move, straightening her clothes as she jumped off the counter, giving Maritza a pat on the knee and a nod before she left in the direction of the party, leaving the smaller girl to be left with her thoughts.

I'm screwed, she thought.

That had been weeks ago now and neither of them had talked about it or alluded to it in any way. However, now, every time Maritza looks at Flaca she can feel her gaze lingering longer and longer each time and she's certain that most, if not all, of the women in their Spanish Harlem group have picked up on her behaviour around Flaca. That is, everyone except for the object of her affections.

Flaca could be really oblivious a lot of the time. Not that Maritza was complaining, she wasn't exactly ready to confess her newfound feeling to her best friend, no matter how many times Ruiz told her to 'stop being a pussy and tell the puta already.' Daya had taken a kinder approach, citing that she would feel better if her feelings were out in the open. Gloria had added her two cents, saying that she wasn't the only one with feelings for her best friend and that she'd seen the way Flaca looked at her from the moment she had walked into the place.

Maritza just wanted to creep into a hole and die.

Especially, after months of harbouring feeling for her best friend and finally finding the courage to tell her about her crush, only for Flaca to look at her sympathetically and pull her into a hug and break her heart with only a few sentences.

"I'm sorry, Mari, but I thought you knew that was a one time thing. You're still my best friend though, yeah?"

"Yeah, of course." Maritza had to leave before she burst into tears.

I'm sorry, too, she thought.


	9. Am I Not Enough?

**Prompt 1: "A new inmate starts to flirt with flaca and Maritza gets jealous and angry."**

 **Prompt 2: "Flaca and Maritza have their worst fight as a couple and without thinking, Flaca slaps Maritza."**

It had started out innocent enough in Flaca's eyes. One of the new inmates had kind of latched onto her and treated her as some kind of mentor, which Flaca thought was cool. Someone was looking to her for guidance for once. Maritza, on the other hand, had seen right through the new girl's act. She saw the way she looked at her girlfriend, the way her gaze would follow her everywhere, the way her "innocent" touches would linger. Maritza was sick of it.

What had made matters worse and angered, but also saddened Maritza, was that Flaca was spending so much time with the new inmate and the shorter girl rarely saw her girlfriend during the day, only exchanging a few words in the morning before breakfast and before they went to sleep at night.

Maritza wasn't even sure if they were together anymore. That's how much Flaca had been neglecting their relationship.

The new girl had something that Maritza didn't and that was information about new music, gossip, and trends from the outside world, whereas the shorter latina was stuck with whatever new gossip was floating around Litchfield.

She hated to admit it, but she was jealous.

Jealous that she couldn't keep Flaca's attention anymore, that she couldn't offer her something new, that the new inmate could make Flaca laugh like she used to be able to do, that the two now had a "thing" between them. Not romantically, no, but something the new girl had brought in from the outside called the Trust Fall Challenge or something, it sounded stupid to Maritza, until she witnessed Flaca fall for the new inmate, literally.

She saw the way Flaca threw her head back laughing, the way the new inmate stared at her with stars in her eyes, and how the new girl's hands seemed to linger on Flaca's hips.

That was the final straw.

Maritza marched up to the two and the way Flaca scrambled out of the other girl's arms at the sight of her angry girlfriend would have been comical had it not been for the circumstances.

"Can I talk to you for a second? Great." Without waiting for a reply, Maritza grabbed Flaca's hand and began to practically drag her down the hallways until they found a deserted one that held an empty utility closet. Maritza made sure the door was closed before she turned to her girlfriend, her angry expression having never left, although there was this underlying sadness in her eyes that Flaca wishes she could unsee.

Maritza never gets sad, except on certain occasions where she wishes she could be home with her daughter, whom of which she is missing so many key moments in her life, that she wouldn't be surprised if she was calling her sister 'mami' by the time she got out.

"What's going on with you and that perra?" The shorter girl demands.

"Nothing." Flaca rebutes, though she could see that Maritza wasn't buying it.

"You've been spending a lot of time with her. I can't remember the last time we said more than two words to each other!" Maritza yelled, becoming upset. "You should see the way she looks at you sometimes, the way she touches you. Do you like that? Do you like her more than me? Am I not enough anymore?" She asks weakly and Flaca can feel her heart drop. She hadn't realised that Maritza felt this way, and maybe that was part of the problem.

"Mari, I would never cheat on you." She whispers softly, reaching a hand to cup Maritza's cheek so she could wipe away the tears that had begun to fall. Angrily, Maritza pushed the hand away and spat out:

"Well, you cheated on Ian with me, so who's to say you won't do it again?"

Slap.

Flaca wouldn't have realised what she had done had Maritza not looked at her wide eyes with a hand lifting to cup her reddening cheek. It was just instinct for her to lash out when she felt attacked.

The silence in the air was deafening, the tension thick. The only sound to be heard was the hitch in Maritza's breath and the subsequent slamming of the closet's door after the shorter girl practically sprinted out of the small room.

Shit, Flaca thought as she went to chase after her girlfriend, only for her to run into someone. Looking up she saw that she had run into an unimpressed looking Gloria, who had her eyebrow raised as she looked in the direction she had just seen Maritza be escorted after the poor girl had run into her and Aleida, the latter taking the girl to calm her down.

"You want to tell me why Maritza just ran out of there like a bat out of hell?" Flaca sighed and lowered her head, feeling too ashamed to even think about what she had just done. She knows Maritza, she knows that she talks a big game but hates violence.

"We got into a fight." She relented, though Gloria didn't look too convinced. She saw the look on Maritza's face, the tears welling in her eyes, and how one cheek was redder than the other.

"And? You two fight all the time." She persisted, wanting to hear Flaca tell her what she had done.

"And… I slapped her." She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable yelling, only for it not to come. When she reopened her eyes she saw Gloria staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"Fix it." Is all she says before she walks away. Flaca takes a deep breath and falls back against the wall, releasing the air in her lungs as she slides down the wall, resting her head on her knees as she thinks of a way to fix this.

It was nighttime by the time Flaca had made it back to her bunk. She had skipped dinner, her appetite having disappeared at the disappointed looks coming from the girls at her table, especially once she noticed the significant lack of a certain someone at the table.

Looking across to Maritza's side she noticed the girl curled up beneath her blanket facing away from her, deciding not to leave this to fester any longer she takes a seat on Maritza's bed, the occupant of it not moving or making any acknowledgements that she was there.

"Mari?" She whispers. No response. Sighing gently she rests her hand where the smaller girl's hip is. Still no response. When she makes a move to remove her hand she feels something stop it. Looking down she sees Maritza's hand grabbing hers.

"Please don't go." Her voice is barely a whisper but Flaca heard her loud and clear, allowing the girl to pull her body down to lay behind her. They lay there cuddling for what felt like hours, when in reality it was only a few minutes until Flaca felt Maritza shift so that the shorter latina was facing her. It was then that Flaca saw the damage she had caused. Maritza's cheek was red with slight bruising, not the worst she's ever had physically, but emotionally? It was the worst.

"I'm so sorry." Flaca uttered, her voice catching at the end as she was unable to hold back the tear once she'd seen the pain she had inflicted on the one person she vowed to keep safe in here.

"I know." Maritza murmurs. "I'm sorry, too."

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Flaca argues but Maritza shakes her head.

"I do. I should've trusted you not to cheat. I didn't mean to insinuate what I did and to provoke you." Flaca's heart tore at that, she thought this was her fault? No.

"This isn't your fault, okay? I snapped when I shouldn't have. That's on me, not you." Maritza relented, not up for having another argument and playing the blame game.

"Let's forget about it, okay?" Flaca nods and leans forward to kiss her girlfriend. "But…" She drawled. "I know one way you can make it up to me." She wriggled her eyebrows and Flaca began to smirk.

"Yeah? How's that."

"You could give me one of those pop tarts you have hidden. I'm starving." Flaca burst out into laughter, quickly being shushed by the other occupants of their block, causing both girls to giggle.

"Of course, mi amor."


	10. No More Secrets

Prompt 1: "Flaca and Maritza are dating and Maritza gets really sick, and Flaca freaks out because she never gets sick herself so she has no idea what to do (they are at Litchfield still)."

Prompt 2: "Maritza has asthma but never told Flaca because she was too embarrassed about it, but one day she suddenly has an asthma attack when they're together."

Since Flaca was a child, she could never remember getting sick. No cold or flu, no infections, no sore throats, no stomach viruses. The only thing she'd ever gotten was the chicken pox and even that wasn't as bad for her as everyone else had told her it would be. She must have an immune system of steel or something. Which is why she was at a loss when she woke up one morning to find Maritza still in bed, her tan skin pale, her skin sweaty, and her body shivering as it was clear she was running a fever.

Her first instinct was to wake the girl, but from the purple hue under her eyes she'd guess that the smaller latina didn't get very much sleep last night, and if the tenseness of her face was anything to go by then she was in pain, too, which Flaca didn't want her to be conscious for.

Her second instinct was to find Gloria, the token "prison mom" for the younger Spanish Harlem girls, and to see if she had any home remedies that would help bring her girlfriend back to health. But, before she could leave she heard painful moaning coming from Maritza's bunk which signalled that she was waking up, unfortunately.

Maritza tried to lift herself up on her bed, only for a splitting pain to rush through her skull and her weak limbs giving in, causing her to fall back onto the thin mattress with a thud. She groaned as she covered her eyes in an attempt to block out the light that was currently irritating her headache sensitive eyes. Flaca looked on helplessly as her girlfriend whined in pain, leaning over the edge of the bed and making a gagging noise.

Flaca sprung into action and grabbed their waste basket and jumped to sit next to her girlfriend, handing her the basket and then using one hand to keep her hair away from her face and the other to rub soothing strokes up and down her back as the smaller girl threw up.

"It's okay, Mari, just let it out." She comforted her sick girlfriend, pressing a kiss to the side of her head once she was finished with the basket. Laying her girlfriend back down and planting another kiss onto her flushed cheek she went to dispose of the vomit in the waste basket. "I'll be right back." She received a meek nod in return.

Once she had returned she saw Maritza sat up in bed with her legs hung over the side as she rubbed her eyes.

"Do you know if anyone has any painkillers?" She asks hoarsely, her throat sore from throwing up and from coughing up her lungs once Flaca had left the room. She hated being sick.

"I'll go check if Gloria has any, or knows someone who does." She said, putting the now clean waste basket within grabbing distance for Maritza.

When Flaca returned ten minutes later it wasn't empty handed, but Maritza had fallen back asleep, which Flaca was grateful for seeing as she had no idea what she was doing when it came to looking after her sick girlfriend. She placed the painkillers under her own pillow to hide them from the guard and left to go get some breakfast without Maritza, knowing the girl wouldn't be able to stomach normal food, never mind the slop they get nowadays that could make you barf without already being under the weather.

When Flaca returns from breakfast she sees that Maritza is up once again but is coughing violently into her hand, her other being used to grasp at her chest as if it was causing her pain. Her face was pale and sweaty and she looked to be struggling for breathe through all of her coughing. In a panicked state Flaca went to kneel in front of her girlfriend, resting her hands on her tense shoulders as she continued to cough and wheeze.

"What's happening?" Her voice is higher than usual and laced with worry with an underlying panic in her tone. Unable to verbally respond, Maritza makes a gesture with her hand in front of her mouth. Flaca just shook her head, having no idea what her girlfriend was gesturing for. "I don't know what that is." She said anxiously. "I don't know what to do!" She panicked as tears began to well in her eyes as Maritza seemed to only get worse.

Upon hearing the ruckus from her own bunk, Aleida walked over to the two panicking girls and upon noticing the state Maritza was in and the gesture she had made in front of her face upon seeing the older latina she rushed to get one of the guards.

"I need an inhaler in here!" She yelled, banging on their window. One guard rushed out and returned a few minutes later with an inhaler in hand, to which Aleida immediately snatched it out of their grasp and pushed through the crowd that had accumulated outside of Flaca and Maritza's room to sit beside Maritza, yelling a quick 'go away' to the bystanders who obeyed immediately. Aleida wasn't one to mess around with.

Placing one hand on her lower back to stop her from hunching over and constricting her airways further, she placed the one holding the pump in front of Maritza's mouth, allowing the younger girl to hold it herself and pump a few times until her breathing had regulated. Flaca continued to watch with an anxiety ridden expression, her left hand clutched tightly by her girlfriend's right, whilst her other hand rubbed soothing circles along her thigh.

With droopy eyes and sluggish movements, Maritza handed the inhaler back to Aleida, who then handed it back to the guard who had kept watch just in case an ambulance would have to be called if the situation had gotten worse. Once the smallest latina had closed her eyes and seemingly fallen asleep, Flaca turned to Aleida.

"How did you know what to do?" She asked, shocked at how prepared and informed Aleida was in this situation.

"Daya had asthma as a kid but she grew out of it once she got in her teens, and Maritza told me a few days after she arrived here that it could get pretty bad sometimes." The older woman revealed.

"Why wouldn't she tell me?" Flaca asked, slightly upset that her girlfriend had failed to tell her about something that was potentially detrimental to her health.

"That's something you'll have to ask her, kid." Aleida says with a pat to Flaca's knew as she gets up and leaves their room with one last glance at Maritza to check if she was okay. Flaca turned to watch her girlfriend sleep only to be met with tired brown eyes gazing at her intently, her head flicking back slightly to signal that she wanted Flaca to come cuddle her. Quickly obliging, the taller girl lay down and allowed Maritza to rest her head on her chest and cuddle into her side.

They lay in a comfortable silence, with Maritza idly twirling a strand of Flaca's between her fingers and the taller girl holding her girlfriend tightly whilst drawing random patterns on her back with her fingers. That was until Flaca broke the silence.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked quietly, still upset that Maritza had kept this from her.

"I was embarrassed." Came the mumbled reply, Maritza having turned her face into Flaca's chest to hide the shameful blush that had overtaken her cheeks.

"So you thought it would be better to not tell me?" Flaca asked with slight anger in her tone and Maritza removed herself from the embrace, too ashamed to meet her girlfriend's eyes.

"I'm sorry." She whispered sadly. Flaca just sighed and reached an arm around her girlfriend, pulling her back into cuddle her.

"No, don;t apologise. Just promise me something."

"Anything." Maritza replied immediately and earnestly.

"Just, no more secrets, okay?" The smaller girl nods in agreement.

"So, is now a good time to tell you that I'm the one who used your shampoo the other week?" She asked cheekily with a smile that showcased her dimples. Flaca reached forward and tickled her girlfriend, knowing she hates it.

"I knew it was you, you little shit."

Maritza just laughed.


	11. How To Grieve

Prompt 1: "Flaca is having a bad day so Maritza tries to cheer up by having their own little dance in the kitchen even there's no music."

Prompt 2: "Flaca's mom dies and she doesn't know how to handle it."

It's not like she hadn't expected it. She hadn't been lying when she'd told Chapman that her mom was really sick and she needed the money from the panty business to help support her. It was bound to happen sooner or later, it's just that Flaca had been hoping it would be later so she'd be out of prison to say her final goodbyes and that her mom could see the new and improved her, as well as introduce her to Maritza.

Maritza. Her mom would have loved her.

She'd been given the message this morning after breakfast that her mom had passed in her sleep after being in the hospital for months. No one had told Flaca she'd been back in hospital. No one had bothered to tell her that her mother's condition was worsening. No one had told her anything. This was her mother.

Flaca had been silent since she'd received the phone call, which the other inmates found odd seeing as it was usually difficult to get the latina to shut up. Maritza was just worried. She hadn't seen her girlfriend smile since she'd woken up across from her this morning and hasn't heard her voice since breakfast. She didn't know what was wrong or how to fix it and it was killing her.

Flaca didn't know what to do either. She hadn't really lost anyone before. Her abuelos and abuelas had either died before she was born or when she was too young to remember.

She didn't know how to grieve.

She did what everyone on the TV shows she used to watch did and lay in bed for the best part of the day, denying the comfort of lunch, dinner, and her girlfriend's tender, loving care. She couldn't bring herself to look into Maritza's eyes and tell her that her mami had died in fear that her composure would crumble completely. That's just something she couldn't let happen, She was the strong one, the protector, they looked out for each other, but Flaca had always been that extra bit more protective of the little latina.

She hadn't cried. She didn't know what the stages of grieving were, but she was sure she'd either skipped a few stages or hadn't gone through any of them.

"Hey…" Her thoughts were interrupted by Maritza's unusually meek voice. She looked apprehensive to be standing in the entrance of her own room, which Flaca was confused about until she realised that Maritza didn't want to invade her space or make her angry or upset. The girl had no idea what was going on and yet she held Flaca's emotions with such care and regard and intuitively knew how to approach her and when to leave her alone.

"You want to take a walk?" The shorter girl asked and Flaca was glad she decided against asking about the elephant in the room for now. Maritza took her hand and led her down the halls, keeping a comfortable silence as she swung their hands between them as they wandered the corridors.

Eventually, she led them to the deserted kitchen and walked over to a deserted space in the center of the room, turning so she was stood directly in front of Flaca, looking up slightly so she could make eye contact with her saddened girlfriend.

"You have two options. You can either tell me what's got you so down." Flaca's gaze flickered away and Maritza knew that the taller latina would be taking the second option no matter what it was. "Or… You can dance with me."

"But there isn't any music." Flaca stated the obvious and the shorter girl had to refrain from rolling her eyes.

"Imagine that 'There is a Light That Never Goes Out' is playing, or some other pussy music." Maritza teased, which earned the first smile she'd seen from her girlfriend in hours, which caused a huge grin to grace her own features. "C'mon." She urged as she draped her arms over Flaca's shoulders as Flaca wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend's waist.

They swayed back and forth, lost in their own little world, their silence broken sporadically by Maritza humming a little tune every now and then. However, that silence was shattered once Flaca became overwhelmed by the sense of comfort she felt and buried her head into Maritza's neck as she began to sob.

All Maritza did was hug her girlfriend closer, shushing and whispering words of comfort into her ear, rubbing circles on her lower back in an attempt to soothe her.

It didn't take long for Flaca to crack.

"My mom died."

"Oh, Flaca…" She trailed off as she adjusted Flaca's head on her shoulder so she was now face to face with the taller girl. She reached both hands up to her cheeks, wiping away the tears on her cheeks as she pulled her face down and leant up so she could place a kiss on her forehead. "Everything will be okay." She whispered, pulling her upset girlfriend into a hug.

"You promise?"

"I promise."


	12. Bad Habits

**Prompt 1: Flaca being jealous of Maritza. (A/N But only a little bit because I don't like the idea of them being jealous of each other).**

 **Prompt 2: Maritza feels insecure about her body and starts taking drastic measures and Flaca notices and reassures her that she is perfect the way she is.**

 **Prompt 3: Inspired by Jackie's snapchat: Flaca keeps telling Maritza how pretty and beautiful she is and Maritza gets uncomfortable bc she has feelings for Flaca.**

It was a sad kind of irony to Flaca that someone as stunning as Maritza could think of herself as anything less than that. Not that Flaca was asking for her best friend to become vain and conceited, but she wishes that when she looked in the mirror she could feel happy and content at her reflection, instead of feeling sad and picking out and heavily critiquing every miniscule or nonexistent flaw. She had this knack for criticising flaws that weren't even there.

In prison they tell you to keep your head up and to be extra aware in case you need to protect yourself from the other inmates. But Flaca had not expected, in Maritza's case, for the situation to be that she needed to be protected from herself.

Flaca can remember a time where she would sometimes get bouts of jealousy over little things Maritza did. At first it was how she winged her liner perfectly, which lead to her infamous teardrop. Sometimes it was her effortless sassiness, her fearlessness, and how she was smarter than she let on. At some point it was something as silly as the fact that Maritza was so tiny and pocket size, which enabled her to blend into the crowd and go unnoticed, whereas Flaca stood out most of the time when all she wanted to do was fade into the background.

She was jealous of Maritza's size, not questioning why the latina was so small in the first place, but when she found out why she realised that jealousy was not the emotion she should be feeling. More so remorse that she didn't notice anything sooner.

Flaca had never given a second thought to how Maritza seemed to be physically unable to receive a compliment from anyone. The first time she'd addressed it had sated her curiosity on the subject and effectively distracted her for the time being.

" _You know Mari, I don't know how you do it, but you make prison clothes sexy." Flaca stated as they walked aimlessly down the halls, having finished their work shift for the day and enjoying the limited free time they have before they'll have to retire to their bunks. Maritza just blushed lightly and shakes her head in dismissal._

" _Flattery will get you nowhere, Flaca. You know as well as I do that I look like crap." Flaca frowned, her best friend always did this and she didn't know why. At first she thought the girl was too modest for her own good, too humble to accept compliments. For a brief moment she thought Maritza enjoyed the attention she got when she refused a compliment and that she was fishing for them on purpose to fill her ego, but then realised that wasn't how Maritza was, she didn't like the extra attention she got sometimes. In fact, she loathed it._

" _You always do that." The taller latina accused, stopping in her tracks. Maritza stopped as well and turned to her friend with confusion laced in her features._

" _Do what?" She questioned, completely at a loss as to what she's done to upset her best friend._

" _You never take a compliment, it's like you're allergic to them or something." Maritza looked down. There were numerous reasons she hated being complimented, reasons she hated herself for, and reasons that she's slightly embarrassed by, especially if it's Flaca complimenting her. "You're so beautiful Maritza." She whispered and tilted the shorter girl's head up, looking earnestly into her eyes. "Seriously, you're like the prettiest girl in here."_

" _Stop." Maritza whined and tried to slap Flaca's hand away so she could go back to staring at the floor._

" _No, I'll keep telling you how stunning you are until you either believe me or tell me why you can't take my compliments. Believe me, I could go on for hours." She drawled and Maritza huffed in acceptance._

" _Fine." She paused as she gathered her thoughts and reasonings, deciding on one that could potentially make the both of them happy, and allowing Maritza to keep her deepest secret in the dark. "When you tell me how beautiful I am, it makes me feel certain feelings…" She trailed off._

" _What kind of feelings?" Flaca questioned, silently praying that Maritza was going where she was hoping she was going with this._

" _Feelings I shouldn't be having for me best friend."_

And that was the end of that. Their friendship had blossomed naturally into a relationship from that conversation and they couldn't have been happier, at least, Flaca couldn't.

They'd exclusively been each other's for nearing a year and in the last few weeks Maritza has been acting strange. And if Flaca hadn't been so blinded by falling in love with Maritza she would've noticed sooner that this change in behaviour had been going on for much, _much_ longer than a few weeks. In fact, it wasn't even a change in behaviour but an amplification of what has always been there now that Flaca had been paying closer attention to her girl.

Maritza had been crying for help for months and Flaca hadn't noticed.

If you were to ask Flaca when this had begun she would narrow it down to a few months before they had gotten together because that was when Flaca had noticed Maritza's tendency to turn down compliments and her odd habits around food.

If you were to ask Maritza when this had begun she would tell you of the time when she was nearly 15 and had stuck her fingers down her throat for the first time after her mother had told her she was too fat to fit into her dress for her Quinceañera, when in fact it was just her boobs had grown since she'd had the dress fitted months ago that made the zip unable to close the whole way on the back .

From that point it had become a habit Maritza had adopted for when she felt bad about her body or when someone criticised her appearance until it turned into where she would force herself to throw up if she'd exceeded her self-implemented calorie regime.

She got away with it for years until she had gotten pregnant and her sister had found her hovering over the toilet throwing up, not from morning sickness but from forcing herself to vomit. Her sister had then forced Maritza into a rehabilitation clinic until the baby was born because she refused to lose her niece just because her sister was a little insecure.

During her pregnancy she had learnt to eat for her baby and had learnt not to hate herself after every meal so long as she told herself that she wasn't eating for herself, but for the being growing inside of her. It had worked and several months later she had given birth to a beautiful baby girl, Juliana. For those few months she had actually gone back to a normal eating routine that she even managed to uphold for a few months after she had given birth.

That was until she looked at herself in the mirror for the first time since Juliana was born to see what had become of her body, her degrading thoughts screaming much louder in her mind than the rational voice in her head telling her this was normal for a post pregnancy body such a short time after giving birth.

Once Juliana was one years old she had gone back to her old ways, only this time she counted her calories much closer and skipped meals as often as she could. That hadn't changed once she'd gone to prison. Only now she had no idea what she was eating most of the time, which meant she had no idea how many calories each meal contained. She was ashamed to admit how much anxiety this had caused her in the first few months she was in Litchfield.

Soon she'd developed a habit of eating her breakfast, throwing up her lunch, and playing around with her dinner, taking a bite every now and then to avoid suspicion, until everyone else was done and left without noticing how little Maritza had actually eaten. Add that with her constant talk of food and her intense relationship with pizza and everyone was none the wiser.

That was until someone had caught her with her fingers down her throat, just like her sister had done those years ago, forcing herself to throw up, and unfortunately for Maritza, that someone just so happened to be Flaca.

The taller latina had followed her girlfriend to the bathroom that day after hearing a couple other latinas gossiping about the bulimic in the bathroom and her instant thought as to who it was, was Maritza. There was a niggling in the back of her mind that had told her it was her, but her heart had screamed for it not to be. Her girlfriend was fine, healthy, and allergic to compliments, but fine nonetheless. But practically, she knew. Which is why she wasn't surprised to find her in the position she was in.

She was just sad and felt guilty for not noticing anything sooner.

She had had her suspicions for a little while, her first coming from the first time they were intimate with each other and as Flaca was kissing a path down Maritza's body, she noticed how she could see every rib on her way down and how her stomach was so concaved her hip bones looked like they could cut you.

Her second suspicion had come when they were walking down a hallway and Doggett had come barreling past them, bumping shoulders with Maritza who would have gone flying had it not been for Flaca's arm saving her.

She had had so many hints after that because now she was looking for them. She'd noticed Maritza disappearing after every lunch only to return ten minutes later looking worse for wear. She had noticed how she played with her food at dinner time and hardly ate anything. She had noticed how Maritza's clothes had begun to hang off of her tiny frame even more than they used to. She noticed the bags under her eyes, the hollowness of her cheeks, how her tan skin had taken on a permanent pale glow. She noticed everything.

Yesterday she had found Maritza crying silently to herself on her bed and when Flaca had asked her what was wrong and tried to comfort her she had just gotten up and walked away leaving the taller girl confused. Until she looked on the missing girl's bed and found a clump of hair. That had sealed her suspicions and had set something off in her brain. So she'd resolved to confront her girlfriend the next day.

Which brings us to now with Flaca holding a sobbing Maritza on the floor, Flaca crying herself as she wraps her arms around her girlfriend. She's so _tiny._ When she had pulled her into her lap it felt as if she was holding a small child she was that light and small.

"We'll get you help, okay?" She said and pressed a kiss to Maritza's temple, only for the girl to jump back in alarm.

"We can't! They'll take me away from here, from you!" She yelled and set off another fresh set of tears. "I need you, Flaca." She whispered, holding the taller girl tighter and burying her head in her neck. Flaca felt her heart break.

"Okay, but we have to tell someone. Maybe Gloria or Aleida?" She suggested and felt Maritza nod, much to her relief. "Okay. good. We'll tell them tomorrow." Again, she felt a nod and sighed in relief. "Maritza? Baby, can you look at me?" She asked and felt Maritza pull herself away from her neck almost instantly.

"Yeah?" Her voice was hoarse.

"I know this probably doesn't count for much, but to me, you're absolutely perfect the way you are." She declared and Maritza could see the honesty in Flaca's eyes, which caused tears to well in her own. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against the taller latina's.

"Thank you." She whispered. "I'll get better, for you, I promise."

"No. I want you to get better for yourself."

"I'll try."


	13. Lightning

**Prompt 1: They have a formal party at Litchfield and when Maritza enters the room everyone stops and stares at her shocked by her beauty. And Flaca is drooling because her girl is so gorgeous.**

 **Prompt 2: Flaca hears someone complimenting Maritza (saying she's hot and stuff) and she gets so jealous and wants to show all the girls in Litchfield that the baby Latina is hers? (AN Featured briefly)**

 **Prompt 3: There's a super awful thunderstorm and Maritza is scared of them so she goes to her best friend Flaca who comforts her and then eventually they admit their feelings for eachother.**

 **& : A Huge thunderstorm hits Litchfield, pouring rain, super loud thunder and to top it all off the power goes out. Maritza is terrified of thunderstorms ever since she can remember. It's Flaca's job to comfort her and make her feel safe.**

Flaca doesn't know how the white girls had pulled it off, but they had managed to convince Caputo that having a formal party at Litchfield would be a good idea and that it would boost inmate morale. They'd even managed to convince him to bring in old dresses, donated from a local charity shop, as well as had the salon open all day so they could get their hair and nails done.

Most of the inmates had spent the majority of the day decorating the activity room with actual streamers and decorations and not just the usual toilet paper banners they'd used for every other prison party and going away party for the inmates who had served their time. It actually looked pretty nice, in Flaca's opinion. The kitchen staff had even done a buffet that had been set up in the corner and there was a large punch bowl that Flaca was sure would be spiked within the hour. Gina, as usual, had set up her little DJ studio in another corner, which was really just an old stereo attached to some speakers, and had asked each inmate to contribute a song to the evening's playlist.

The only thing that could make this better is if the weather outside had been nice, but it had rained all day and it got darker an hour earlier than it usually did due to the heavy and black clouds in the sky. The weather channel had forecast a storm and if Flaca was being honest, she couldn't wait. She loved the rumble of thunder in the distance and the lightning that would light up the sky like the Fourth of July. It reminded her of easier times when she was a little girl, when storms would hit, blowing out all of the power, so they would have to use a bunch of candles to light up the house and they would sit around playing board games and hide and seek to pass the time.

She missed that.

For tonight, Flaca had chosen to wear a dress similar to the one she had worn to the job fair, except this one was lighter in colour, though she kept her usual make up and had her nails painted to match her dress.

Upon arrival, the tall latina had noticed that there was actual current music playing that she didn't find half bad, even if she wished The Smiths were playing. At least it wasn't that Reggaeton shit Maritza loved. Speaking of the smaller latina, she didn't notice her on her way in, even as she joined the rest of the Spanish Harlem crew. When she asked the others where she was she just received multiple shoulder shrugs and 'I don't know's.

Not even thirty minutes into the party she noticed a few people stop dancing and turn their heads to the doorway. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that hippy Nichols practically drooling. When she turned her head to see what had grabbed everyone's attention, her jaw dropped, literally.

Stood in a beautiful skin tight black dress that reached mid thigh, was Maritza, with her hair swept into a high ponytail and ruby red lipstick, that was definitely contraband, stained her lips. She looked absolutely gorgeous and Flaca couldn't help but continue to stare as her best friend spotted her and started walking in her direction.

"Hey." She greeted, seemingly oblivious to all the attention she had garnered from her appearance.

"Aye mami, you gotta nice ass!" Someone, probably Nichols, yelled from the other side of the room and, despite her best efforts, Maritza blushed slightly and ducked her head, smoothing her hands over her dress self-consciously, while Flaca had turned red, feelingly slightly possessive over her best friend for some reason and jealous of Maritza's reaction to the compliment.

Only she got to say those things to her and make her blush.

Huffing slightly, Flaca grabs Maritza's hand, asking,

"Do you want to dance?" And without waiting for a response she drags the smaller latina to the makeshift dance floor as a new long begins to play.

" _ **Baby, this is what you came for**_

 _ **Lightning strikes every time she moves."**_

They sway together to the beat of the music, Flaca noticing flashes of light in the distance through the window as Maritza turns her back towards her and presses herself against Flaca's front, essentially grinding against her best friend as they continued to move to the beat. Flaca could've sworn she saw stars when Maritza dropped and slowly straightened up, her ass firmly pressed against Flaca's hips.

" _ **And everybody's watching her**_

 _ **But she's looking at you, oh, oh."**_

They had gathered an audience but Flaca couldn't care less as Maritza turned back around and wrapped her arms around the taller latina's neck, encouraging the latter to rest her hands on her hips as they made eye contact, Maritza's gaze unwavering and Flaca felt a strange sense of pleasure knowing that the smaller girl's attention was solely focused on her, even though everybody else seems to be enthralled by the shorter latina.

 _This'll show them that Maritza's my girl,_ she thought, _wait, my girl?_

" _ **Lightning, this is what you came for**_

 _ **Lightning strikes every time she-"**_

The music was suddenly cut off as the room was flooded in darkness. Numerous noises of complaints could be heard from the inmates, though the deafening sound of thunder clapping in the distance silenced most of them.

"Alright everyone is to stay put until the storm passes. No one is to leave this room until we get power back, understand?" They heard Caputo yell and there was a chorus of groans at the statement.

"This is bull." Flaca huffed, expecting a reply agreeing to her statement from her best friend, only for it to be met with silence. When she turned to face the smaller girl she couldn't make out her features but her silhouette was definitely beside her.

Lightning lit up the sky and illuminated the room and Flaca noticed how Maritza jumped and the terrified expression on her face for the split second she could see her face. The thunder soon followed and Flaca was startled when she felt Maritza jump into her arms, her tiny body shaking. Flaca instantly dragged Maritza into an unoccupied corner of the room and pulled her best friend into a hug.

"Are you okay?" She whispered into the shorter girl's ear, not wanting her question to be heard by another inmate, knowing that some of them fed off of fear, like vampires.

"No." Was the weak response, Maritza jumping once again at the thunder that roared. The storm was right above them.

"Are you scared of storms?" Flaca asked inquisitively without any hint of judgement in her tone, to which Maritza was glad.

"Yeah…" Her response was delayed, feeling ashamed. As if she didn't feel like enough of a baby most of the time being the smallest in her group, she had to be terrified of storms. She couldn't help it, she had been petrified of them ever since she could remember. There was just something about the sky looking like it was being set on fire and sounding like it was being ripped open, like Hell was on Earth, that chilled her to the bone.

"It's okay." Flaca reassured, pressing a kiss to the top of her best friend's head and tightening her hold on her shaking body. _She must be really scared_ , she thought _._ "So, tell me something about you that I don't know." Flaca demands in a ploy to distract her best friend from the raging storm outside, the rain hitting the windows like bullets. Maritza rolled her eyes before she replied.

"But you already know everything, Flaca." She whined slightly, but cuddled closer to her best friend when there was another rumble of thunder.

"Fine, I'll tell you something you don't know about me." Flaca relented and turned so she could face Maritza, reaching down to grab her hands to hold in her own. "So, recently, I've been having feelings for another inmate." She revealed and continued to stare intently at her best friend, who had lowered her gaze for a moment to take a breath, before looking up and forcing a smile on her face.

"Who is it?" She forced excitement. "It better not be that crack head."

" _Aye dios mio!_ Of course not, besides, I think she has eyes for you." She said while glaring over the shorter girl's shoulder, which made Maritza turn around to see Nichols, illuminated slightly by the soft moonlight that crept through the large windows, staring somewhere south of her face before dragging her eyes up to meet Maritza's and wiggling her eyebrows with a wink and biting her lip. Before Maritza could respond she felt Flaca pull her closer by the waist, forcing her to give the taller latina her attention.

"Who caught your eye?" Maritza tries again, willing herself to be happy for her best friend, though she can feel a pit forming in the bottom of her stomach at the thought that Flaca doesn't have feelings for her, when she does have feelings, _strong_ feelings, for her best friend.

Just as Flaca was about to tell her, an ear piercing roar of thunder ripped through the room that caused Maritza to practically jump into Flaca's arms, who thankfully caught her. As she set the shorter girl down, she kept her arms tightly wrapped around her small waist, fusing their bodies together. Maritza felt her breath hitch as she saw Flaca begin to lean forward.

When their lips met, it was like their very own storm had been set off between them, electricity was flowing through their veins, their touch light lightning. Maritza tilted her head and allowed for Flaca to trace her bottom lip with her tongue, to which she skillfully snuck into the shorter latina's mouth.

Another clap of thunder was heard, and instead of jumping a mile high, Maritza just pulled away from the kiss, startled slightly, and rested her forehead against Flaca's with her eyes closed so she could relish this moment for as long as possible, undisturbed, until Flaca spoke quietly.

"I hope that answered your question."


End file.
